Fun and Dance at West Portal Elementary Kick-off Celebration

By San Francisco Shared Schoolyard Project · February 27, 2016

27

February 2016

Beautiful weather smiled on San Francisco as parents, children, neighbors and community leaders gathered together for a joyous day of play, dance, art and laughter at West Portal Elementary School. The Shared Schoolyard event celebrated the grand reopening of West Portal Elementary School’s yard for the public to use on weekends -- much to the delight of the neighborhood, with over 200 people in attendance.

The highlight of the afternoon was a captivating fan dance by the award-winning Chinese Performing Arts Program. This dance was followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony with Supervisors Mark Farrell and Norman Yee, School Board Commissioner Jill Wynns, and a number of excited schoolchildren.

This event could not have been successful without the participation of numerous community organizations that provided activities for neighborhood families. The Stonestown Family YMCA provided soccer, Little Artistas helped create a beautiful chalk art mosaic on the ground, the Peek-a-Boo Factory transformed children into superheroes or fairies through face-painting, the West Portal Library made unique pins out of old magazines, and the local fire station brought a fire engine for the kids to explore.

The yard at West Portal Elementary School is open to the public on weekends from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm in order to provide children and families a safe and clean place to gather. The schoolyard will be opened by the San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department and cleaned by the San Francisco Department of Public Works. For any questions or specific information about the Shared Schoolyard Project, please contact Chris Sally at chris@sfsharedschoolyard.org.